A Texan mother has been arrested and charged with capital murder after allegedly stabbing her 4-year-old son to death. Monica Figueroa faces the charges for the killing of her son, Grayson Hurt.
The child’s grandmother, Mary Johnson, has been charged with endangering a child for not promptly reporting the death.
On Monday morning, police responded to a call from Johnson and discovered Grayson’s body partially covered by a blanket at the family home. Henderson County Sheriff Botie Hillhouse stated that the child had been dead for several hours before the authorities arrived on the scene.
According to the sheriff, Johnson claimed she saw Figueroa sitting on a rolled-up blanket and stabbing it repeatedly with a wood-handled knife on Sunday afternoon. Johnson allegedly heard the child screaming, then the screams stopped after Figueroa cut the blanket. Figueroa threatened Johnson, instructing her to leave the scene.
The following morning, Johnson returned to the house and contacted the authorities. During questioning, Figueroa reportedly confessed to killing her son. However, no motive has been disclosed in the case.
An autopsy of Grayson’s body will be conducted by the Southwestern Institute of Forensic Science in Dallas. Multiple agencies are investigating the case. These angencies include the Athens Police Department, the Henderson County District Attorney’s Office, the Texas Rangers, and Child Protective Services.
Figueroa is currently held on a $2 million bond, while Johnson’s bail is set at $250,000. As of Wednesday afternoon, neither woman had posted bail. Online records do not indicate attorneys authorized to speak on their behalf.